Exactly a Year in Russia!

ok so basically the work is going great we have a baptisimal date with a guy that we still have to meet with again and its been a week. Also we bumped into Maxim outside of his work today and saw his office. Maxim is the coolest guy ever, i really hope the best for him. Also, yesterday we had culture night and it was psycho-we went to the national dance show, same as last time and this time i got photos cuz i dint lose my camera. It was incredible and all the dancers remembered us and we cheered real good for them. the guy next to me is watching transformers and its like whatever. Also met a wonderful couple the other night and we hope to meet with them tonight before english club and love the heck out of them. Man the work is slow, but it sure is happening. I got your package, thank you, and sorry i havent written hand letters lately, i probably wont til i leave this area cuz im so dang far from a pochta. The time is going far too fast. today i have been in russia for exactly a year. crazy huh? the mission is all new faces and Everything has changed...except im in the same district i started in. Man you guys are awesome! Family is the greatist thing in the world. speaking of family, my son just sat next to me to email home. Elder Foster is doing really well and he is getting very good at the language. hes a champ.
Lots of other crazy things are happening that i cant even remember. I contacted some kid the other day. he just turned 15 yesterday and he has been smoking for a year and he cant quit. he plays poker and hes messed up morally. he is atheist and his parents are both christian and divorced. he gets great grades in school and has been learning english for 7 years and he speaks really well. He listens to rap music and wants to go to america to learn english, he has a job as a courier and is in an advanced high school program directed towards a certain college. I love learning about people and I really want to help them. Its a good thi9ng I know how to help people. Also, Athiests are really really interesting to me. and at the national dance show i met a family from iran and they are perhaps the nicest people in the world. I gave them my last butterfinger that i got in my package and I love them so much. To escape their government they are moving to canada. Lately is seems as if everyone is moving to canada, its like the happiest place on earth.
I really enjoy npeople, there is so much to learn from other people. and from meeting and getting to know other people we find out who we really are and who we want to become, we find in others characteristics that we possess, that wewant to possess, and that we dont want to possess. The best person to compare ourselves to is Christ.
I lo0ve you all dearly,
E;lder Paul